UK Subsidy Control Blog

UK Subsidy Control Insider

Der UK Subsidy Control Insider (UKSCI) stellt eine exzellente Informationsquelle für alle diejenigen dar, die sich mit den aktuellen Entwicklungen im Bereich der staatlichen Subventionsvorschriften im Vereinigten Königreich vertraut machen möchten. In der Konsequenz der Verabschiedung des Subventionskontrollgesetzes von 2022 hat sich die Art und Weise der Verwaltung von Subventionen durch öffentliche Behörden in signifikantem Maße verändert. Diese Veränderung geht mit einer Abweichung von den früheren EU-Beihilfevorschriften einher. Im Rahmen einer kritischen Analyse wird untersucht, ob die Reformen ihr Versprechen von Effizienz und wirtschaftlichem Nutzen erfüllt haben.

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How Can Politicians Reform the Subsidy Control Regime to Make it More Effective (and Should They)?

The UK’s Subsidy Control regime is now in its third year of operation and, in line with its statutory duty, the Competition and Markets Authority is in the process of gathering information to enable it to evaluate the effectiveness of the Subsidy Control Act 2022, including the impact this legislation has had upon competition and investment within the United Kingdom, […]

Vexatious Litigation in the Subsidy Control Regime

Table of Contents: 1. The Claim 2. A Pattern of Vexatious Litigation in The CAT? 3. Might the Role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Also Contribute to This Emerging Pattern? 4. Final Thoughts   A public authority was recently copied into an email principally addressed to the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) purporting to notify the CAT of an intention to bring an appeal under the […]

Relying on the Commercial Market Operator principle is less of a lottery: the Competition Appeal Tribunal’s judgment in The New Lottery Company v Gambling Commission

On 26 February 2026, the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) decided The New Lottery Company v Gambling Commission. This is the second case in which the CAT has decided a subsidy control case in favour of the public authority, applying the ‘Commercial Market Operator (or CMO) principle’ set out in Section 3(2) of the Subsidy Control Act 2022. The CAT found […]

A high stakes appeal: New Lottery Company v Gambling Commission

The appeal in The New Lottery Company v Gambling Commission centres on a decision taken in July 2023 to contribute around around £70m to Camelot’s marketing activity in support of the National Lottery, of which Camelot is the licensed operator.  The Gambling Commission (GC) took the view that the contribution did not give any economic advantage to Camelot, and hence […]

Covert Subsidies: Are they flying under the radar?

Introduction Almost three years on from the Subsidy Control Act 2022 (the “Act”) coming into force, public authorities have, on the most part, got to grips with the routine processes and procedures needed to comply with the Act. However, there are some areas where public authorities are either unaware that the Act should bite or are failing to apply the […]

The European Union publicly expresses concern about the effectiveness of the UK’s Subsidy Control regime

The European Union has published concerns about the effectiveness of the UK’s Subsidy Control regime – a strong indication that the enforcement provisions of the UK’s regime will be one of the issues raised at the five year review of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement in 2026. In this article Alexander Rose and Schellion Horn consider the implications of […]

From the sublime to the ridiculous: Thomas v Durham County Council in the CAT

Introduction  After a slow start, the number of legal challenges brought under the Subsidy Control Act 2022 (the “Act”) has started to tick up. Only one case – Durham Company v Durham County Council – was lodged in 2023, with a judgment later that year. The second – Weis v Greater Manchester Combined Authority – was lodged in 2024 and […]

Opinion – the UK’s Subsidy Control Regime Can Be Improved Through More, Better Targeted Streamlined Routes

Subsidy Control law is important for the economy and therefore impacts the living standards of people across the United Kingdom. Well targeted subsidies can improve the economy, for example by driving forward high growth sectors such as the Space and technology sector, whereas poorly designed subsidies are wasteful and can serve to undermine competition within the market. The UK’s Subsidy […]

Competing Visions of the UK’s Subsidy Control Regime

At a Subsidy Control conference in June 2024, then Competition Appeal Tribunal President Mr Justice Marcus Smith spoke about the logic of the UK having a domestic Subsidy Control regime, noting that the UK is an outlier in having such a system of purely domestic control of state subsidies. With a new government in place and over 18 months having […]

Subsidy Control and the Economics of Data

Introduction Data has been described as the world’s most valuable commodity.[1] Yet despite its importance, especially in the field Artificial Intelligence (AI), transfers of data are rarely discussed within the context of Subsidy Control. In this article, Hana Hammouda and Sattam Al-Mugheiry explore the economics of data and consider the circumstances in which the Subsidy Control Act 2022 may apply […]
Kieran McGaughey
Consultant Solicitor, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
Beatrice Wood
Associate, Sharpe Pritchard LLP, London, United Kingdom
George Peretz KC BL
Monckton Chambers, UK
Schellion J. Horn
Partner and Economic Consulting, Grant Thornton UK, London, United Kingdom
Hana Hammouda
Senior Manager and Economic Consultant, Grant Thornton UK, London, United Kingdom
Sattam Al-Mugheiry
Barrister
Alexander Rose
Partner, Ward Hadaway, Newcastle
Joanne Clement KC
KC at @11KBW, London, United Kingdom
Sir Marcus Smith
President of the Competition Appeal Tribunal
Charlotte McLean
Referendaire
Alex Kynoch
Partner, Browne Jacobson LLP
Angelica Hymers
Senior Associate, Browne Jacobson LLP
Hana Hammouda
Senior Manager, Grant Thornton UK LLP
Jamie Dunne
Legal Director, Brodies LLP Solicitors
Jonathan Branton

Partner // Head of Government & Public Sector, DWF in Leeds

Jonathan is Head of EU/Competition at DWF and also leads the Government & Public Sector group.
Oliver Slater
Associate, Sharpe Pritchard LLP, London, United Kingdom

Behind the UK Subsidy Control Insider you find our expert team of editors:

George Peretz KC BL
Monckton Chambers, UK
Alexander Rose
Partner, Ward Hadaway, Newcastle
Andrea Biondi
Advocate General, Court of Justice of the European Union; Professor, Director of the Centre of European Law, King’s College, London
Joanne Clement KC
KC at @11KBW, London, United Kingdom
Angus Johnston
Professor, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
Alex Eaton
DWF Law, Manchester, United Kingdom
Schellion J. Horn
Partner and Economic Consulting, Grant Thornton UK, London, United Kingdom
Hana Hammouda
Senior Manager and Economic Consultant, Grant Thornton UK, London, United Kingdom
Kieran McGaughey
Consultant Solicitor, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
Sattam Al-Mugheiry
Barrister

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